Does Google Workspace have public folders?
No, Google Workspace does not have public folders. Instead, it spreads what public folders did across several tools. That is usually a good thing. Public folders tend to collect years of mixed content: shared mail, contact lists, calendars, and files. Splitting them by purpose makes each piece easier to find and manage.
Public folders are one of the items that make an Exchange move more involved than an IMAP move. Our Exchange Server step-by-step guide covers the rest of the process, and our email migration guide shows how it fits with other platforms.
How do you inventory public folders before migrating?
You inventory public folders by listing each folder with its content type, size, owner, and last activity. Exchange administration tools can report folder sizes and item counts, which gives you a starting list.
For each folder, answer four questions:
- Who uses it, and how often?
- What is in it: mail, calendar items, contacts, posts, or files?
- When was it last updated?
- Is there a legal or business reason to keep its contents?
Then sort the folders into three groups: active folders people use every week, reference folders people look at occasionally, and abandoned folders nobody has touched in a long time. Most of the effort should go into the first group.
Where does each kind of public folder go?
Each kind of public folder goes to the Google Workspace tool that matches its purpose. This table is a starting point:
| Public folder type | Google Workspace destination |
|---|---|
| Mail-enabled folder, such as orders@ | Google Group set up as a collaborative inbox |
| Shared calendar | Google Calendar shared with a group |
| Shared contact list | A Google Sheet, your CRM, or contacts given to the people who need them |
| Discussion or posts folder | Google Group or a Google Chat space |
| Files and documents | Shared drive |
| Old reference content | Exported archive in a restricted shared drive |
A collaborative inbox lets group members see, assign, and track messages sent to a shared address. It is the closest match for a mail-enabled public folder. Our guide to migrating shared mailboxes and distribution lists covers Google Groups in more depth. For files, our guide to My Drive vs shared drives explains why shared drives are the right home.
How is public folder content actually moved?
Public folder content is moved with a mix of migration tools and manual export, depending on the destination. Some migration tools can copy public folder mail into a Google Group or a mailbox, while others do not support public folders at all. Confirm what your chosen tool can do before you plan around it.
For the rest:
- Calendars are exported and imported into the new shared calendar.
- Files are saved out and uploaded to the right shared drive.
- Reference content is exported to an archive and stored with limited access.
Test with one active folder first. Check that the content arrived, that people can find it, and that the right people have access.
Access needs fresh planning. Public folder permissions do not carry over. Decide who should read, post, and manage each destination, then set Google Group membership and shared drive roles to match. Our guide to Drive sharing settings helps you set sensible defaults.
Next step
Public folders are part of our Exchange migration service. We help you sort the folders, choose destinations, and move the content that still matters.
Frequently asked questions
Do public folder permissions carry over to Google Workspace?
No. Public folder permissions do not map onto Google Groups or shared drives. Plan access from scratch: decide who should read, who should post, and who should manage each destination, then set group membership and shared drive roles to match.
Should we migrate public folders nobody uses?
Usually not into everyday tools. If you have a retention reason, export them to an archive and store it in a restricted shared drive, or keep a backup. Moving unused content into daily tools makes search noisier and adds work for little benefit.
